After more than two years based in Sri Lanka, travel writer Lydia Swinscoe has stayed in over 60 properties across the island, both for work and pleasure. While she notes the rise of homogenised, social media-led Airbnbs and boutique hotels, she prefers unique places that focus on how a hotel makes you feel rather than looking flawless on a screen. Here are some of her favourite secret(ish) stays in Sri Lanka.
Secret sanctuaries in Galle and Negombo
Taru Villas Rampart Street in Galle is a secret sanctuary in the heart of the fort, with just four bedrooms, exuding the air of a private home rather than a hotel. With a pool at its heart and frangipani trees shading the garden, the colonial home's walls are covered in works of local art, with lots of communal spaces to read and relax. Swinscoe says the staff are the best in the business, making every guest feel cared for and right at home.
Uga Riva in Negombo is a restored 180-year-old manor, surrounded by coconut palms and well-maintained gardens, drawing an abundance of birds to the glimmering swimming pool each afternoon. Bedrooms are large, immaculate, and quiet, with some in the original part of the building. Just a 30-minute drive from the airport, it appeals to architecture and history fans.
Wildlife lodges and lakeside retreats
The Warden's House in Kataragama is a four-bedroom luxury safari lodge hidden inland, close to the pilgrimage town and well away from the heavily touristed parts of Yala National Park. It sits close to an idyllic stretch of the Menik River, where Asian elephants are known to wander directly onto the grounds. There's an abundance of birds to watch over breakfast, plus the food and service are both sublime.
Tri in Ahangama has been taken over by Teardrop Hotels, one of Sri Lanka's leading boutique hotel groups, breathing new life into the lakeside property and its cinnamon plantation site. Sunset villas with private plunge pools offer pretty views across the surrounding lake. There's a peaceful yoga shala, a library room enshrined in jungle, and a stunning infinity pool that appears to blend into Koggala Lake below.
Castles and colonial heritage
Ayr Castle 1922 in Labugama, an hour and a half from Colombo, was built in 1922 by a British tea-estate worker to help woo a Scottish love interest. The relationship soured before the building was completed, leaving the Brit heartbroken and jobless. Today, it's a five-bedroom hotel with glorious views across rubber plantations, and on clear days, it's possible to see Colombo's skyline and the Lotus Tower.
Jetwing Mahesa Bhawan in Jaffna serves what might just be the best crab curry in Sri Lanka, alongside home-cooked dishes. It's a base for exploring the country's northernmost region, where ancient temples, idyllic offshore islands and vast, empty beaches are lined with colourful fishing boats. This four-bedroom villa feels like one of Sri Lanka's best-kept secrets.
A house with a story
No.5 (Ena de Silva House) at Lunuganga in Bentota was originally located in Colombo, then painstakingly dismantled and rebuilt at Lunuganga, with every floor tile carefully numbered and returned to its exact original position. Designed around a tranquil open courtyard, its three bedrooms blend architectural brilliance with understated charm. With a new swimming pool and the option to book the entire house, it's an even more special retreat.
